Arrest Warrants

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many suspects the Crown Prosecution Service has successfully applied to have returned to the UK under an European arrest warrant in each of the last five years; and with what offence each suspect was charged.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Home Department.
	The European arrest warrant (EAW) scheme is managed by the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA); although policy oversight is the responsibility of Home Office Ministers. I would refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement of 16 April 2013, Official Report, columns 28-29WS, which informed the House of an error SOCA has identified in the capture and reporting of information on the number of outgoing EAW (part 3) requests that have been executed since 2009-10. HM chief inspector of constabulary (HMCIC) has been asked to review SOCA data and will report back in mid May.

Scotland

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  with what external (a) organisations and (b) individuals her Department has engaged as part of the Scotland Analysis Programme; and what was discussed at such consultations;
	(2)  how many officials in her Department have been allocated to work on the Scotland Analysis Programme; and at what cost to the public purse;
	(3)  what meetings she and officials in her Department have had with the right hon. Member for Edinburgh South West as part of the Scotland Analysis Programme; and what was discussed at those meetings;
	(4)  what work her Department has commissioned from external consultants in relation to work on the Scotland Analysis Programme; which consultants were used; and at what cost to the public purse.

Michael Penning: Work on the Scotland Analysis programme is being carried out across Government by policy experts in relevant areas. There is a small team in the Treasury co-ordinating the programme.
	The Northern Ireland Office has not engaged with any external organisations or individuals as part of the Scotland Analysis programme, nor have Northern Ireland Office staff been allocated to work on the Scotland Analysis programme. Neither I, nor the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chipping Barnet (Mrs Villiers), nor officials from the Northern Ireland Office have had meetings with the right hon. Member for Edinburgh South West (Mr Darling) as part of the Scotland Analysis programme and the Northern Ireland Office has not commissioned any work from external consultants in relation to the programme.

Crimes against Property

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people of each age group were (a) arrested and (b) given anti-social behaviour orders on charges of vandalism and damage to property in each of the last five years.

Jeremy Browne: Arrests data for England and Wales are collected by the Home Office on the basis of aggregated age and offence groupings, and are published on an annual basis in the National Statistics series ‘Police Powers and Procedures’. Data currently available cover the period up to the financial year 2011-12 and are included in the latest internet-only release, which is available in the Library of the House and from the following link via:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-powers-and-procedures-in-england-and-wales-201112
	Available data relate to the number of persons arrested for the criminal damage offence grouping, and are given in the following table.
	Data on antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOS) are collected by the Ministry of Justice. Data showing the number of ASBOs issued and breached in each year, broken down by Criminal Justice System area and court centre area, can be accessed via the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/anti-social-behaviour-order-statistics-england-and-wales-2011-2
	Antisocial behaviour (ASB) can encompass a very wide range of behaviours. The specific nature of and circumstances surrounding the ASB which resulted in an antisocial behaviour order (ASBO) being issued is recorded in individual case files held by courts.
	However, due to their size and complexity, not all the details contained within these files are reported to the Ministry of Justice as part of the ASBO data collection. The Ministry of Justice report, therefore, that it is not possible to ascertain the specific reasons for an ASBO being issued except through examination of individual courts files, which could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			 Number of persons arrested for criminal damage offences, by age group, England and Wales 2007-08 to 2011-12 
			 Age group 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Under 10 years 34 11 1 2 10 
			 10 to 17 years 52,452 41,875 33,249 27,034 19,741 
			 18 to 20 years 26,616 24,782 21,981 20,091 15,933 
			 21 years and over 73,397 73,311 68,616 65,903 59,784 
			 Age unknown 391 341 128 113 50 
			 Total 152,890 140,320 123,975 113,143 95,518

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when officials of his Department were first informed of the 40 per cent under estimate by HS2 of the cost of planned works at Euston Station.

Simon Burns: Officials at the Department were informed in December 2012 that HS2 Ltd were considering an alternative scheme for Euston station that could be delivered more efficiently with less disruption than the consulted scheme.
	The Department will shortly be publishing a draft Environmental Statement, and an associated consultation on a limited number of design changes, including Euston station. The Secretary of State for Transport is keen to understand stakeholders' views through this consultation, prior to making a final decision on the contents of the Hybrid Bill in November this year.

Motor Vehicles: Testing

Robert Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the Government's position was on the removal of the exemption of mobile cranes from undergoing roadworthiness testing in recent discussions at the EU Council of Ministers when negotiating a Council position on the Commission's proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on periodic roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles and their trailers and repealing Directive 2009/40/EC.

Stephen Hammond: The UK has made no specific representations related to the scope of roadworthiness tests in respect of mobile cranes during the negotiations of the Council of Ministers’ position on the European Commission's proposals.

Energy Companies Obligation

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what amount has been allocated through the Energy Company Obligation brokerage system to date.

Gregory Barker: Brokerage is a market based mechanism that allows obligated energy companies to buy compliance against their energy company obligation targets from green deal providers. Government has no role in allocating, buying or selling contracts. The volumes of ECO traded every two weeks through brokerage can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/eco-brokerage-results

Energy Companies Obligation

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what amount has been spent on the Energy Company Obligation to date.

Gregory Barker: The energy company obligation places a carbon reduction target on the largest energy suppliers. How energy companies choose to deliver these targets is a commercial matter for them. DECC has not spent anything on delivery of the obligation to date.

Energy Company Obligation

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the energy company obligation, how many referrals have been made to suppliers to receive a minimum package of assistance in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland.

Gregory Barker: The energy company obligation covers England, Scotland and Wales only.
	The government-funded Energy Saving Advice Service refers consumers who live in England and Wales to the obligated energy suppliers for a minimum package of assistance under the affordable warmth obligation, following an eligibility check with the Department for Work and Pensions. As at 10 May 2013, 9,128 referrals had been made to the obligated suppliers since the service launched in January of this year.
	Scottish Government has made separate arrangements with the Energy Saving Trust (Scotland) to provide a referral service and the UK Government does not hold that data.

Renewable Energy

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent representations he has received regarding incentives for the purchase of renewable energy from independent generators after the renewables obligation ends.

Gregory Barker: Ministers and officials have held many meetings with a wide range of independent generators, suppliers and other stakeholders covering route to market issues including incentives for the purchase of renewable energy from independent generators after the end of the renewables obligation. The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey) met with the Independent Renewable Energy Generators Group to discuss route to market issues. Officials have also held workshops, each attended by over 100 industry representatives, at which a range of views have been put forward.
	In such meetings, and during our call for evidence last year, we heard concerns that some independent generators are currently finding it more difficult to secure long-term contracts (power purchase agreements) to sell their power on viable terms, and concerns that this situation may persist as we move to the Contract for Difference support mechanism.
	The Government's view is that Contracts for Difference (CfDs) will open up new opportunities for independent generation developers and will support the development of a more competitive market for power purchase agreements. Government is working closely with industry to smooth the transition to the new regime, and has included powers in the Energy Bill to give it the flexibility to act to improve the route to market for independents if it becomes necessary. Government is also considering whether there is a case for further action to ensure that the market, including independent generators, is ready for the CfD.

Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he plans to take to address the concerns raised by the National Audit Office about the Equitable Life payment scheme.

Sajid Javid: The NAO report provides some very useful guidance to the payment scheme. HMT and National Savings and Investments will be implementing their recommendations in full.

Railways: Scotland

Margaret Curran: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress he has made on the upgrade of the Caledonian Sleeper Service.

Danny Alexander: As announced in the 2011 autumn statement, the UK Government made £50 million of funding available for improvements in the Caledonian Sleeper service, subject to matched co-funding from the Scottish Government. Funds have already been drawn down by the Scottish Government. The UK Government is continuing to monitor the delivery of the overall investment programme.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 2 April 2013 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr B O'Malley.

Richard Benyon: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson), replied to the right hon. Member on 9 May.

Cambodia

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Cambodia.

Hugo Swire: Our embassy in Phnom Penh provides regular updates on the human rights situation in Cambodia. Our assessment is that the Cambodian Government is making progress in some areas such as women's health and land registration. However, the situation needs to be improved in respect of land disputes, freedom of expression, rule of law and corruption. Human rights is one of the key priorities of our embassy's work in Cambodia. We raise these issues frequently with the Cambodian Government, both bilaterally and through the EU, and will continue to do so. In particular, we strongly support the work of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) established in 2006 to deliver justice to the millions of victims of the Khmer Rouge regime and to hold to account its surviving most senior and responsible perpetrators. In the last financial year we made contributions totalling £2 million to help the court continue in its work.

Developing Countries: HIV Infection

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions has he had with the Secretary of State for International Department on the decision to increase support on HIV and AIDS from 0 per cent in 2011-12 to 50 per cent in 2012-13.

David Lidington: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has regular meetings with Cabinet colleagues at which they discuss a range of issues relating to their Departments.

India

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to his Indian counterpart on (a) Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar and (b) the abolition of the death penalty in that country.

Hugo Swire: I raised Mr Bhullar's case when I met the Indian High Commissioner, Dr J. Bhagwati, on 30 April. Our high commission in New Delhi has in parallel raised this issue with the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. The UK will continue to monitor this case closely, as we will in all cases where the death penalty has been given as a sentence.
	It is the long-standing policy of the British Government to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. While in New Delhi on 19 February, as part of my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's delegation, I raised our concerns with Ranjan Mathai, the Foreign Secretary at the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. The British Government will continue to make its position clear to the Indian Government, both bilaterally and through the EU, and urge them to introduce a formal moratorium with a view to eventual abolition of the death penalty.

Nepal

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any plans to visit Nepal.

Hugo Swire: It is long standing policy not to confirm ministerial travel plans significantly in advance.
	The UK values our close ties with Nepal based on 200 years of friendship and reflected in the frequent ministerial travel between our two countries, Most recently, the Minister of State, Department for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr Duncan), visited Kathmandu in April 2013. In particular, we value our long standing connection through the Gurkha Brigade and our position as Nepal's largest bilateral development donor. The UK will continue to play an active role in supporting democracy and the protection of fundamental rights in Nepal.

South East Asia

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Prime Minister's Trade Envoy to Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia regarding human rights in each of those countries.

Hugo Swire: Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials, including our ambassador to Cambodia, met the Prime Minister's Trade Envoy to Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, Lord Puttnam of Queensgate to discuss developments in Vietnam, laos and Cambodia, including human rights, in January 2012. UKTI officials regularly meet Lord Puttnam in his role as Trade Envoy to the region. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has not recently discussed these issues with Lord Puttnam.

Syria

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the training which his Department is providing to the Syrian opposition forces includes the use of equipment which is prohibited for transfer to Syria under current EU sanctions arrangements.

William Hague: None of the training that the British Government is providing to the Syrian opposition includes the use of equipment that is prohibited for transfer to Syria under existing EU sanctions. All equipment provided for the opposition is carefully considered, in consultation with Foreign and Commonwealth Office sanctions and export licensing experts and legal advisers, against EU sanctions and international and domestic UK law including our own stringent, domestic export licensing criteria.

Health Foods: EU Law

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the potential effect on independent health food shops in the UK of full implementation of the EU Food Supplements Directive 2004/46 EC;
	(2)  what representations he has made to the European Health Commissioner on proposals to determine maximum permitted levels at which vitamins and minerals may be present in food supplements.

Anna Soubry: The Government's position is that any future decisions on vitamins, minerals and other food supplements need to be proportionate and based on evidence, so that consumers have confidence in what they buy, while maintaining a wide choice of safe products.
	I wrote to the European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, Tonio Borg, on 10 January 2013 and the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt) met with the Commissioner on 17 January 2013 to emphasise the United Kingdom's position. Until further details are released on any future proposals, it is not possible to anticipate the full impact that the setting of maximum levels may have on consumer choice and the health food sector, including independent health food shops.

Heart Diseases: Children

Stuart Andrew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Independent Reconfiguration Panel's advice on the review of children's heart surgery will be made public.

Anna Soubry: The Independent Reconfiguration Panel's report concerning the Safe and Sustainable review of children's congenital heart services was submitted to the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), on 30 April 2013.
	The Secretary of State for Health is now considering this important report and will make his decision in due course.
	As is routine, the panel will publish its report on the same day the Secretary of State for Health makes his decision public.

Oxygen: Aviation

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will make it his policy to require airlines to provide onboard oxygen for patients reliant upon NHS-provided home oxygen equipment; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent representations he has received on the use of home oxygen equipment on (a) domestic and (b) international airlines; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  if he will take steps to increase the number of countries offering reciprocal agreements for the provision of home oxygen equipment for UK citizens travelling abroad; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  if he will take steps to enable individuals using an NHS-provided portable oxygen machine to use their machine (a) outside of the UK for short periods of time and (b) while they are in transit to and from the UK; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  what steps he has taken to enable people reliant upon NHS-supplied home oxygen equipment to travel abroad; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: Access to state-funded medical treatment in European Economic Area (EEA) countries is provided for under the terms of a valid European Health Insurance Card and this includes access to oxygen services. However, due to the nature of these services, it is necessary for residents of EEA countries to reserve provision of the oxygen equipment they will require, during the temporary visit to the other country, in advance of their departure from their home country. This can be done by contacting the Department's Public Enquiry Centre who hold contact telephone numbers for all EEA countries.
	The United Kingdom also has reciprocal health care agreements with countries outside the EEA, such as Australia and New Zealand, and these provide cover for the cost of pre-existing conditions. However, individuals are still required to secure provision in advance on a personal basis in accordance with the provisions of the country they wish to visit, initially, through the embassy of the country concerned.
	There are no current plans to add to the number of health care agreements which the UK has with non-EEA countries and any additional EEA countries will be a matter for the European Union as a whole.
	Government does not set policy for domestic or international airlines. The Department has, however, been working closely with the British Lung Foundation (BLF) to help educate airlines in understanding patient requirements and providing them with on-board oxygen at no additional cost.
	We are aware, through recent engagement with patients and the BLF, that patients are now more able to travel locally and abroad due to the recent enhancements made to the contracts for home oxygen in England (and Wales). The Department has had feedback from a recent engagement event that patients on oxygen want to be able to do more in terms of travel, and we will continue to work with NHS England and home oxygen suppliers in this area.

Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to implement the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 in its procurement procedures; and what guidance he has given to his Department's executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies on implementation of that Act.

Daniel Poulter: Cabinet Office circulated a Procurement Policy Note on 20 December 2012 with guidance on the requirements of the Public Services (Social Value Act), which came into force in January 2013.
	The Department has reviewed and updated its procurement documentation and guidance in light of the provisions of the Act.
	A copy of the Act and supporting Cabinet Office Procurement Policy Note was issued by the Department to its executive agencies and non-departmental bodies on 29 January 2013 requiring them to take actions to comply with legislation and providing guidance to do so.

Council Tax: Students

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will introduce an income or capital limit for eligibility for council tax exemption for full-time students.

Brandon Lewis: The Government has no plans to introduce an income or capital limit for eligibility for council tax exemption for full-time students. The full-time student disregard is a long standing feature of the council tax system.

Fire Services: Private Sector

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what his policy is on enabling fire authorities to contract out their full range of services to a private provider;
	(2)  what his policy is on giving external bodies those emergency powers currently held by firefighters employed by fire authorities;
	(3)  what his policy is on enabling fire authorities to contract out firefighting duties to a private provider.

Brandon Lewis: The last Labour Government introduced the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 which amended the provisions of the Fire Services Act 1947. The 2004 Act provided local fire and rescue authorities with the ability to outsource a wide range of its services in the execution of its functions, and many fire and rescue authorities now use these outsourcing powers. Labour Ministers told the House then:
	'the Bill is not about the wholesale privatisation of the fire and rescue service' (“Fire and Rescue Services Bill Deb”, 24 February 2004, Official Report, column 173).
	In recent months, this red herring has resurfaced, as it has been falsely suggested that this Government is seeking to 'privatise' the fire service. I would like to repeat for the record that such apocalyptic warnings are unfounded.
	We are actually working to support local mutuals and co-operatives, following a bid from Cleveland Fire and Rescue Authority to set up a local employee-led mutual, building on their existing mutualised services. The Labour councillor who is the local authority's chairman has described the claims of privatisation as 'scaremongering' (Darlington and Stockton Times, 12 February 2013).
	More information on the false alarm of 'privatisation' can be found on my Department's website at:
	www.gov.uk/government/news/ministers-respond-to-false-alarm-of-fire-service-privatisation
	There has previously been support from across the political spectrum for co-operatives and mutuals in local government. I note that the Communities and Local Government Select Committee has called on the Government to do more to help support the development of mutuals and co-operatives in local government (“Mutual and co-operative approaches to delivering local services”, HC 112, December 2012).
	Moreover, I observe even Her Majesty's Opposition has proclaimed the virtues of mutuals in local government and new co-operative models of service delivery (“Towards co-operative councils: empowering people to change their lives”, February 2013, Preface; Labour Party, “One Nation: Rebuilding Britain Together”, April 2013, p.14). In that context, I would hope that hon. Members of all political colours seek to support the extension of employee-led mutuals in local government.

Carer's Allowance

John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to uprate income threshold for carer's allowance in light of the forthcoming increase in the minimum wage.

Esther McVey: The Government is aware that the increase in the national minimum wage will tip some carers over the earnings limit for carer's allowance and is in the process of considering whether an increase in the earnings threshold is warranted and affordable.
	However, it should be kept in mind that the earnings limit for carer's allowance is net of tax, national insurance contributions, and certain other allowable expenses, which means that carers can earn significantly more than £100 a week and still get carer's allowance.

Children: Maintenance

Robert Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if his Department will estimate the amount of money that would be paid to resident parents annually if non-resident parents who habitually live in the UK but who receive remuneration and pay tax in another jurisdiction could be assessed for the purposes of child maintenance payments on the income they earned outwith the UK.

Steve Webb: In the absence of any information regarding how many non resident parents are habitually resident in the UK for child maintenance purposes but registered abroad for tax purposes, no meaningful estimate can be made.

Pensions: Gender Recognition

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is on pension entitlements for transpeople; whether the Government intends to bring forward amendments on this matter to the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill 2012-13 at Report Stage; and if he will make a statement.

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make an assessment of the representations made about pension entitlements for transpeople in paragraphs 9 to 13 of the paper submitted by Helen Belcher to the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill Public Bill Committee; whether the Government plans to bring forward amendments to the Bill on pension entitlements at report stage; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: The Government said it would carefully consider this issue when it was debated in the Public Bill Committee and will finalise its assessment shortly, which it will make known to the House.

Personal Independence Payment

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment his Department has made of the engagement by Atos with organisations representing disabled people in producing its training materials for the assessment of the personal independence payment.

Esther McVey: Atos has an ongoing programme of regular engagement with organisations representing disabled people including discussing the health professional training. These organisations have also developed specific condition insight reports and briefings to inform Atos' training. There will be a continuing programme of professional development for Atos' assessors, monitored by the Department, and we expect them to continue with this level of engagement.

Personal Independence Payment

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what criteria his Department has used in reviewing Atos' training materials for the assessment for the personal independence payment.

Esther McVey: The Department for Work and Pensions has reviewed Atos' training materials and is content with them. In doing so the Department has judged the training materials against whether they will equip trainee disability assessors with the competence, knowledge and skills necessary to assess personal independence payment claimants against the assessment criteria, taking into consideration such issues as whether claimants can complete activities reliably.

Social Security Benefits: Immigrants

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of any additional amount of benefits to be claimed as a result of any increase in the number of Romanian and Bulgarian nationals expected to migrate to the UK over the next three years.

Mark Hoban: It is not possible to accurately forecast the likely inflow from Romania and Bulgaria once restrictions are lifted, the inflow will depend on a variety of factors. Therefore we are unable to predict the additional cost of benefits.
	From 1 January 2014 Romania and Bulgarian nationals will have the same benefit entitlement as other migrants who are a ‘qualified person’ from the European Union—i.e. they exercise a right to reside as a worker; a self-employed person; a job seeker; a self-sufficient person or a student.
	Contributory benefits, such as contribution based jobseeker’s allowance, are payable to anyone who satisfies the contribution and other conditions for the benefit, regardless of nationality.
	For income related benefits each claimant must satisfy the habitual residence test before they are eligible to claim means-tested benefits.
	Economically inactive people, who are neither in work or seeking work, are required to be self-sufficient and have comprehensive medical insurance. Similarly students are required to be self-sufficient. Therefore, under domestic legislation economically inactive EEA nationals and their family members cannot claim income-related benefits.

State Retirement Pensions: Females

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effects of bringing forward the introduction of the proposed new single tier state pension on women born between April 1951 and April 1953.

Steve Webb: The single-tier pension will be implemented in April 2016. Only individuals who reach their state pension age after implementation will be eligible for a single-tier pension. Therefore, all men and women who reach state pension age before the implementation of single tier, including women born between 6 April 1951 and 5 April 1953, will receive a state pension in line with existing rules. The Government has published an analysis of the state pension outcomes of the cohort of women born between 6 April 1951 and 5 April 1953 on the GOV.uk website.

Apprentices

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many apprenticeships in (a) Bassetlaw constituency, (b) South Yorkshire, (c) Nottinghamshire and (d) England which were completed in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii) 2012 led to a permanent job.

Matthew Hancock: We do not collect data which allows us to answer the specific questions on how many apprenticeships led to a permanent job by sub-region.
	However, we do have relevant data from a survey of apprentices in England (published 15 May 2012) which shows that 85% of apprentices who completed their apprenticeship in the last 12 months were employed by an employer at the time of the survey, with a further 4% being self-employed and a further 3% in education.
	We are not able to break these findings down by electoral constituency or by sub-regions (such as South Yorkshire) as the survey is not large enough to do this robustly.
	Information on the number of apprenticeship achievements by parliamentary constituency, local education authority and region are published in a supplementary table to a quarterly Statistical First Release (SFR):
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/60297A67-6111-4D21-B0C1-0FF90B108012/0/March2013_Apprenticeship_Achievements.xls
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/Statistics/fe_data_library/Apprenticeships/

Business: Regulation

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference the Queen's Speech on 8 May 2013, what measures relating to (a) apprenticeships and (b) traineeships he intends to introduce as part of the proposed Deregulation Bill.

Matthew Hancock: The Government is seeking an appropriate legislative vehicle within the next Session to implement changes to apprenticeships. Regulatory change will allow Government to realise its vision for apprenticeships following the Richard review and subsequent consultation on the future of apprenticeships.
	We do not expect to include in the Bill measures specifically relating to traineeships.

Higher Education: Research

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of research funding from research councils went to Welsh universities in each of the last three years.

David Willetts: The RCUK spend on research grants in universities for the last three financial years is in the following table. 2012-13 data has not yet been reported.
	
		
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Total grant spend(1) (£000) 1,430,053 1,480,066 1,512,746 
			 Total grant spend(1) in Wales (£000) 45,941 43,537 43,339 
			     
			 Proportion of RCUK grant spend(1) awarded in Wales (percentage) 3.2 2.9 2.9 
			 (1) Figures are exclusively grant spend on research projects only and do not include capital spend, doctoral training grants, facilities/infrastructure or fellowships. Note: Data taken from confirmed grant spend published by RCUK Assurance.

Minimum Wage

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate the number of people who will earn no more than the national minimum wage over the course of their working lives.

Jo Swinson: Information is not available on the number of people who will earn no more than the national minimum wage over the course of their working lives.
	The Low Pay Commission (LPC) estimated in their 2013 report that at a point in time in April 2012, around 5.3% of all jobs were minimum wage jobs (approximately 1.4 million jobs).
	According to the Office of National Statistics, more than 11 million people moved between employment, unemployment and inactivity in 2012; and even more people remained in employment that moved from job to job. It is therefore very unlikely that there are many individuals that will remain in the same job, paid at the minimum wage for the entirety of their working life.

Prisons: Education

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which educational courses are available to prisoners; what the uptake rate is of each such course; and what proportion of prisoner students see their course through to completion.

Matthew Hancock: I have placed information in the Libraries of the House which show learning aim titles and the number of enrolments on each by offenders aged 18 or over in the prison system in the 2011/12 academic year.
	In 2011/12, 227,700 learning aims were achieved by offenders aged 18 or over in the prison system.
	These offenders were funded via the Offenders’ Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) budget.

Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on how many occasions powers under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2000 have been used in each year since it was enacted; and in how many such cases in each year the person under investigation was (a) identified and (b) penalised.

Jo Swinson: The Public Interest Disclosure Act (PIDA) 1998 does not contain any investigatory powers. The Act contains a power to prescribe a list of persons or bodies to whom a whistleblower may make protected disclosure. Any investigation as a result of these disclosures would be a matter for the person or body to whom the disclosure is made. Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunal Service collects data on the number of PIDA cases that go to employment tribunal, however, Government does not hold any statistics on the number of disclosures investigated.

Sign Language

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what his policy is on equality of access for deaf people whose first language is British Sign Language in terms of communicating with (a) businesses and (b) his Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what steps his Department has taken to ensure that deaf people have the opportunity to communicate in British Sign Language with (a) businesses and (b) his Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies.

Matthew Hancock: The Department complies with its legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and ensures all reasonable adjustments are made for people with hearing difficulties to communicate effectively with the Department. We continue to seek opportunities to engage deaf people in creating the conditions for business success, promoting innovation, enterprise and science and giving everyone the skills and opportunities to succeed.
	The Department fully funds British Sign Language (BSL) training courses for young people as a first Level 2 or Level 3 qualification. The Government also fully funds BSL training where it is needed to help unemployed people find work.

Offenders: Rehabilitation

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when his Department expects to publish an impact assessment for the proposals contained in the consultation paper, Transforming Rehabilitation, published in January 2013.

Jeremy Wright: On 9 May, the Ministry of Justice published the response to the “Transforming Rehabilitation consultation—Transforming Rehabilitation: a Strategy for Reform”—and introduced the Offender Rehabilitation Bill, which contains provisions to support our reforms. We have published an impact assessment of the Bill's provisions and further analysis of our proposals is included in the “Transforming Rehabilitation: A Strategy for Reform” document.

Child Minding

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which organisations and individuals are part of the Task and Finish Group for developing a childminder agency framework; how those organisations and individuals were chosen; and whether any organisations and individuals were invited to join that group but declined.

Elizabeth Truss: Our Task and Finish Group is made up of a wide range of representatives from across early education and child care, comprising private nurseries, national representative bodies, local authorities, Ofsted, the voluntary and community sector, children's centres, and childminder networks. These organisations were approached on the basis of their interest and expertise in early education and child care. The group is working with us to consider implementation options for childminder agencies, including possible operating models; advise on the key requirements to be placed on agencies, with a view to shaping the secondary legislation; help engage stakeholders and promote sector awareness and engagement in childminder agencies; and assist in the trialling activity for childminder agencies.
	The group's work, and the trials we are planning, will inform the legislation we are seeking to introduce through the Children and Families Bill, and the regulations that will be subject to parliamentary scrutiny in due course.

Children: Day Care

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the potential effects of his More Great Childcare proposals on (a) childcare cost, (b) childcare quality, (c) the number of childcare places and (d) childcare providers.

Elizabeth Truss: As set out in “More great childcare”, our reforms are intended to: raise the status and quality of the work force; free high quality providers to offer more places; improve the regulatory regime; and give more choice to parents.
	These reforms are intended to ensure that high quality providers have the freedom to recruit and retain higher calibre staff, thereby increasing the quality of the provision on offer while enabling providers to bear down on costs to parents.
	More high quality providers will be supported and encouraged to enter the market, including through the creation of new child minder agencies. The increase in the availability of affordable, safe and stimulating care will support more families by enabling more parents to work as they choose.

Children: Day Care

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he intends to publish the analysis of comparative costs and ratios of childcare in industrialised countries supplied to his Department by Professor Helen Penn and Professor Eva Lloyd.

Elizabeth Truss: The report on the costs of child care carried out by the Childhood Wellbeing Research Centre will be published in due course with other documents relating to the Childcare Commission. A copy of this report will be placed in the Library upon publication.

Children: Day Care

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the potential effect on female employment of his plans for childcare reforms in More Great Childcare.

Elizabeth Truss: As set out in “More great childcare”(1), our reforms are intended to raise the status and quality of the work force; free high quality providers to offer more places; improve the regulatory regime; and give more choice to parents.
	More high quality providers will be supported and encouraged to enter the market, including through the creation of new child minder agencies. The increase in the availability of affordable, safe and stimulating care will support more families by enabling more parents to work as they choose.
	(1)https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/170552/More_20Great_20Childcare_20v2.pdf.pdf

Free School Meals

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of pupils in each free school were eligible for free school meals in each of the last three years.

David Laws: The number of pupils in state-funded schools in England, including the number and proportion of pupils known to be eligible to receive free school meals (FSM), is published as part of the annual “Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics” report. The latest data is for January 2012 and is available on the Government's website:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2012
	FSM data collected in the January 2012 School Census has been published at school level including for the first 24 free schools that opened in September 2011. However, information about one school has been suppressed to protect information about individuals. There were no free schools open when the School Census took place in January 2010 or 2011. A table of data for these 24 free schools is attached.
	
		
			 Free schools: Number of pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals(1), January 2012 
			 DfE number School name Local authority Number of pupils(2,3) Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals(2,3) % of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 
			 3172000 Aldborough E-ACT Free School Redbridge 107 26 24.3 
			 8702002 All Saints Junior School Reading 16 0 0.0 
			 2132000 ARK Atwood Primary Academy Westminster 59 20 33.9 
			 2052000 ARK Conway Primary Academy Hammersmith and Fulham 30 4 13.3 
			 3826012 Batley Grammar School Kirklees 522 28 5.4 
			 8014001 Bristol Free School Bristol, City of 84 10 11.9 
			 2112000 Canary Wharf College Tower Hamlets 59 (4)— (4)— 
			 9382002 Discovery New School West Sussex 48 4 8.3 
			 3092011 Eden Primary Haringey 30 0 0.0 
			 3022001 Etz Chaim Jewish Primary School Barnet 32 0 0.0 
			 3804004 Kings Science Academy Bradford 140 33 23.6 
			 8562001 Krishna-Avanti Primary School Leicester 35 3 8.6 
			 8712000 Langley Hall Primary Academy Slough 182 13 7.1 
			 8886018 Maharishi Free School Lancashire 135 11 8.1 
			 8212005 Moorlands Free School Luton 281 0 0.0 
			 3302032 Nishkam Free School Birmingham 179 13 7.3 
			 3802000 Rainbow Primary School Bradford 46 12 26.1 
			 8956010 Sandbach School Cheshire East 1,039 73 7.0 
			 2022000 St Luke's Church of England Primary Camden 16 0 0.0 
			 9354001 Stour Valley Community School Suffolk 185 18 9.7 
			 9262020 The Free School Norwich Norfolk 95 14 14.7 
			 9372000 The Priors School Warwickshire 45 0 0.0 
			 2054000 West London Free School Hammersmith and Fulham 121 28 23.1 
		
	
	
		
			 3082000 Woodpecker Hall Primary Academy Enfield 60 15 25.0 
			 (1) Based on School Census, January 2012. (2) Includes pupils who are sole or dual main registrations. Includes boarders. (3) Pupils who have full-time attendance and are aged 15 or under, or pupils who have part-time attendance and are aged between 5 and 15. (4 )One or two pupils or a percentage based on one or two pupils.

GCE A-level

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of (a) girls and (b) boys of each ethnic group achieved A* to E grades in (i) any and (ii) three or more A-levels in each local authority area in each of the last 15 years.

Elizabeth Truss: In January 2010, official statistics covering KS5 attainment by characteristics were reviewed following concerns around the coverage, validity of LA comparisons and the consistency of KS5 characteristics when compared with other key stages. The decision was subsequently taken to discontinue the publication.
	However, the Department's publication “Attainment by young people in England measured using matched administrative data: by age 19 in 2012” contains breakdowns for students achieving Level 3 qualifications by ethnicity, for those in the state sector at academic age 15(1).
	Table 9 within the above publication gives the percentage of young people qualified to Level 3 by age 19 by ethnicity for the 2005-12 cohorts (where Level 3 equates to achievement of two or more A-levels or equivalent qualifications). Table 11 provides similar information for students who had turned 19 by the end of the 2011/12 academic year by the age they achieved Level 3 and ethnicity.
	A-level and equivalent qualification attainment broken down by gender and local authority can be found within the Department's publication “Revised A-level and equivalent examination results in England: academic year 2011 to 20127”(2).
	Table 9a within the “Additional Tables 1” link provides GCE A-level and equivalent results of state-funded students aged 16 to 18 by gender, local authority and region for all schools and FE colleges. Table 9b provides the equivalent data for state-funded school students only.
	()(1)https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/attainment-by-young-people-in-england-measured-using-matched-administrative-data-by-age-19-in-2012
	()(2)https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/revised-a-level-and-equivalent-examination-results-in-england-academic-year-2011-to-2012

Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to implement the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 in its procurement procedures; and what guidance he has given to his Department's executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies on implementation of that Act.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department has disseminated guidance issued by Cabinet Office entitled “The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012—advice for commissioners and procurers”(1) and carried out awareness sessions for all procurement staff in the Department and its agencies.
	()(1)https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/79273/Public_Services_Social_Value_Act_2012_PPN.pdf